The Morocco team was taken lightly by the Portugal coach. And he paid the price for this mistake in Portugal's defeat. Against Switzerland, without Ronaldo, Portugal's attack played very well and scored 6 goals. The Portugal coach thought the same strategy would work against Morocco. So he did not give place to Ronaldo in the starting XI. And so Portugal's gameplay was quite slow in the first half.
I don't say the Portugal coach, Mr. Santos was wrong by choosing Goncalo Ramos in last two matches of Portugal because of two biggest reasons.
- Cristiano Ronaldo lost his good performance in past few months, not only in World Cup 2022
- Goncalo Ramos is a promising young player and this World Cup can be a start for his journey with Portugal in later big tournaments.
Even I support this choice of Santos, I did know a young player like Ramos can not play well in all big matches. He need to have more experience to improve his skills and ability to face with pressure. In match with Morocco, Ramos had one chance to make a good finish with his head but failed to complete it well. If Ronaldo is a player in that position, with his jump power, he would be able to complete it better. The match with Morocco shows that Ramos must learn a lot of more things for his career.
I agree with you that Ronaldo has not been in great form for the last few months. He is struggling to return to form. But first I will say, his contribution to the Portugal team should not be forgotten.
Secondly, if there is a disruptive player like Ronaldo in the squad, at least 2/3 of the opponent's defenders would be busy blocking Ronaldo. This would have resulted in scoring opportunities for either Bruno or Felix. As we know Morocco will play defensive tactics. So Portugal coach Santos should have been smart and kept Ronaldo in the squad.
Thirdly I would say Ronaldo is very experienced. I agree Ramos is a great player. But on a big stage like the World Cup, experience is more important. And in terms of experience, the most experienced player in the Portugal squad is Cristiano Ronaldo.